Lifesaving device



March 14, 1950 cHlLLEMl 2,500,661

LIFE SAVING DEVICE Filed Jan. 22, 1946 INVENTQR JOSEPH, CHILPEMI ATTORNEYJ:

Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STAT E'S PAT ENT OFFICE LIFESAVING DEVICE Joseph Chillemi, Yonkers, N. Y.

Application January 22, 1946, Serial No.'642,654

1 Claim.

This invention relates to newanduseful improvements in life saving devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient device which can be worn within the bathing trunks to be easily and rapidly pulled out in an emergency toextend around the: neck and across the front of the wearer to act as a life preserver.

A further object isto; provide an inflatable device which when not in usecanbe hidden from view within the bathing trunks.

Still another object is to provide a simple device which is economical to make and can be placed in either its inoperative or operative position and vice versa, quickl and easily without disturbing the position of the bathing trunks.

Further and more specific objects, features, and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description of the specification hereinafter set forth especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates present preferred forms which the invention may assume and which from part of the specification.

Briefly and in general terms the invention comprises a foldable inflatable bag provided with means to dispose it within the bathing trunks of a wearer and to detachably fasten it therewithin and further provided with means to permit it to be pulled out quickly, applied around the neck and extended across the front of the body and subsequently inflated by air valve means disposed near the mouth of the wearer when the device is so extended.

More particularly the device itself comprises an inflatable bag with a neck band and an inflating tube along the top edge thereof and with snap fasteners along the bottom edge thereof, said fasteners adapted to engage with companion fasteners on the inner front upper edge of th bathing trunks when the bag is so disposed. The bag can be folded along a horizontal medial line so that it and the neck piece can be disposed hidden from view behind the front wall of the trunks when not in use. The hand of the user can instantly reach within the trunks and grasp the neck piece, and pull the bag to an unfolded position from its folded condition, and apply the neck piece around the neck at which time the inflating tube is disposed adjacent the mouth of the wearer.

The present preferred forms which the invention may assume are shown in the drawing, in which,

vice inflated and as fashioned for use by men.

FigureZ is a front elevational view of th "device deflated and folded to be disposed'beneath the bathing trunks when not in use.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the form ofthe device fashioned for useby women.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view showing in full lines the device in operative position on a man, the dotted lines indicating the portion of th device in inoperative position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectionalview on the line 5' 5 of Figure 4.

The forms of the device shown are adapted to provide an inflatable bag for bathers which can be folded up and worn and disposed back of the front of the bathing trunks or suit and detachably fastened so that when it is required for use the bather can reach within the bathing trunks, grasp the neck piece of the device and pull it up and over his neck. The inflation tube is disposed immediately adjacent the neck piece so that it is instantly and physically available for immediate inflation of the bag in a few seconds after being unfolded to operative position.

The detailed construction of the bag in the form adapted for use by men is shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5.

The device comprises a bag it preferably rectangular in shape and formed of two walls of air-tight material secured together along their edges and provided with spaced buttons H to hold the walls together at several points so that when the bag is inflated the layers will not be expanded too greatly from each other. At the top edge of the bag is provided a strap l2 forming a connection to extend around the neck of the wearer. Along the upper edge of the bag and preferably near one end of the neck strap is an inflation tube It so that when the device is in unfolded operative position this tube is within reach of the mouth of the wearer for blowing thereinto to effect inflation of the bag it.

Along the lower front portion of the bag are disposed a plurality of snap fastener elements M which are adapted to cooperate with companion fastener elements It on the inner upper edge of the bathing trunks It.

The device is adapted to be folded along a medial line as shown in Figure 2 and placed within the trunks l6 and held therein by the engagement of the snap fastener elements l4 and I5. In this position it is clear that in an emergency, when it is desired to use the device it is only necessary for the wearer to reach into the trunks,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the deseize the neck piece I2 and pull it up over and around his neck. This operation will unfold the device and immediately place the inflation tube l3 near his mouth whereupon it can be instantly inflated.

In the folded position within the trunks it will be perceived that the neck piece and the one fold of the bag will lie against the body of the wearer and the other fold will lie against the trunks and that the withdrawal of the device will by a mere pull upward on the neck piece cause the simple unfolding of the sections of the bag without necessarily disengaging the snap fasteners.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3 the device is substantially the same as that heretofore described except that it is shaped for wear by women and the body of the bag I0 is cut away at the sides as at lll'| for the breasts of the woman wearer.

While the invention is described in detail and with respect to two forms which the invention may assume it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover 1 any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In combination with a pair of bathing trunks,

, 4 snap fastener elements disposed along said trunks at the top front edge thereof, an inflatable bag formed of two opposed walls secured together along their edges, means for fastening the walls together at separated points within said edges, a neck-embracing strap connected to the upper edge of the bag, an inflating tube disposed at the upper edge of the bag, and snap fastener elements disposed along the lower edge of the bag and adapted to engage with the respective snap fasteners on the trunks, said bag being of a size to cover the wearers chest and foldable horizontally along a line running between said fastening means to be disposed when not in use behind the front portion of the trunks to be pulled out by the neck-embracing strap to extended position.

JOSEPH CHILLEMI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,132,346 Holroyd Mar. 16, 1915 1,155,207 Brokaw Sept. 28, 1915 1,552,298 Harootunian Sept. 1, 1925 1,575,255 Czyzykowski Mar. 2, 1926 1,617,723 Roberts Feb. 15, 1927 

